Getting selected early in the NFL draft is a dream for every player coming out of college. Not only does it show that they’re one of the most talented young players in the world, but it also comes with a pretty big payday. However, for some players, this can hurt their development more than it helps, especially for quarterbacks. Being drafted by a team that has no identity or direction can severely harm a player’s confidence. Justin Fields is a great example of this. A dynamic player coming out of Ohio State, Fields struggled with the inconsistent Chicago Bears. One former Steelers safety wonders if Fields can ever regain the belief in himself that he used to have.
Ryan Clark was an NFL safety 2002-2014, being with the Steelers from 2006-2013. Most remembered as Troy Polamalu’s partner on the backend, Clark now works as an analyst for ESPN. On a recent episode of the network’s show Get Up, Clark discussed the Steelers’ quarterback situation. He said Wilson is likely to start but that it needs to be asked if Fields can bounce back mentally from his stint in Chicago.
“All of the talent is there, and I do believe at some point we’re going to have to psychologically assess what being in Chicago did to him,” Clark said. “Can he process? Does he overthink? Is he trying to figure out, ‘Will the next mistake be my last mistake?’ That’s the only way we know who Justin Fields can be, and we can’t figure that out while he’s on the bench, but I do not believe he starts in the beginning of the season, and Russell Wilson is gonna have to lose that spot, or [Mike] Tomlin makes a decision.”
Clark is more than likely correct that Wilson will have to lose the starting job more than Fields will have to win it, especially based on all of Mike Tomlin’s comments this offseason. He does bring up a good point about the Steelers not knowing what they have in Fields unless they see it in an actual game. It can be tough for young quarterbacks to get back on track after losing their confidence.
If the Steelers think Fields can be their franchise guy, they’re going to have to see if he can recover mentally because all the physical tools are there. He’s also a free agent after this season, so time is not on their side. Reports from have indicated that Fields’ mindset has been great so far, which is a good preliminary sign.
Fields has also shown confidence in some of the interviews he’s done with the Steelers so far, not backing down from the challenge of competing with Wilson. Considering how accomplished Wilson is, that says a lot. The two also seem to be working closely together, showing that the competition is more about iron sharpening iron than it is bringing the other man down.
It isn’t often that a quarterback drafted in the first round fails with his first team and then finds success with his next, but Fields is in the right situation to break that trend. Ryan Tannehill was drafted in the first round by the Miami Dolphins, seemed like a bust, and then had the best years of his career with the Tennessee Titans, where Arthur Smith was the offensive coordinator. Perhaps Smith can do the same thing with Fields, helping to restore his confidence and providing the Steelers with their quarterback of the future.
